overnor Paul Cellucci, within hours of returning to his State House office from an overseas trade mission, spoke briefly with Texas Governor George W. Bush and his top aide, Andy Card, but declined to comment on whether the conversations touched on his taking a job in Washington.
Cellucci said both men made it clear that, until an official winner of the presidential election is declared, they are not ready to focus on federal appointments.
''The message I got from both of them, is that until Bush is declared the official winner, everything is on hold,'' Cellucci said of the conversations, which took place late Wednesday afternoon. Cellucci placed the calls.
Pressed about whether he discussed appointment to a post in a Bush administration, Cellucci declined to comment.
''There is nothing to say,'' Cellucci said when asked if the subject of his joining a Bush administration was raised. He said he congratulated Card on his selection for the chief of staff's job.
As for Bush, Cellucci said he told the GOP presidential nominee that he was ''proud of him'' and told him he was confident that the Texas governor would prevail in the court proceedings in the Florida contest.
Cellucci, however, said he had talked in particular to Card about regional federal agencies and Republicans who could head them. Cellucci is expected to play a key role in the regional appointments, which include US Justice and Environmental Protection Agency.
Cellucci, a longtime Bush family political ally and friend of both former President Bush and the Texas governor, has tried to cool speculation that he will leave his job as governor for a position in a Bush administration.
The speculation has increased as Bush appears to be getting closer to winning the Florida recount.
Cellucci has said he will entertain any offer from Bush, but he has insisted that he and his wife, Jan, are happy with their lives in Massachusetts and he enjoys his job as governor. He has said he will particularly enjoy the job with Bush in the White House and Card, with whom he served in the Massachusetts House and who is one of his closest friends, as chief of staff.
